The Natural Stone Council (NSC), a collaboration of eleven stone trade associations, worked closely with the National Center for Sustainability Standards at NSF International, to develop the NSC 373 certification. This voluntary accreditation involves an intensive document submittal and reporting is verified by an on-site audit conducted by NSF International.

Certifications are based upon a quarrier and/or fabricator’s performance and metrics for improvement in the following categories: water; transportation and chain of custody; site management; land reclamation; corporate governance; energy; management of excess process material and solid waste; safer chemical and materials management; human health and safety; and innovation.

Michels Stone also completed the requirements of Chain of Custody portion of the NSC 373 standard. This vital component of the standard allows the material to be tracked from point of harvest, through fabrication and travel to the project site, known as “Cradle to Gate.”

Similar to the LEED rating system, there is a combination of required and optional credits. An organization’s pursuit of elective, enhanced or innovation performance credits are what determine their level of certification – bronze, silver, gold or platinum. The Michels Stone production facility and two of their Wisconsin quarries, located in Warmka and Fond du Lac, achieved Gold Level certification.

“We are very pleased to be the fifth dimensional stone company in the World to be certified to the Natural Stone Council’s NSC-373 Standard,” said M.O. Bohrer, Sales & Marketing manager at Michels Corporation and former chairman of the Natural Stone Council.“We are equally proud to be the first company in Wisconsin to be certified; a state known for producing some the highest quality and beautiful building stone in North America. The process was a very worthwhile endeavor and we are confident attaining this certification will reap dividends for us within the design community.”